Thoughts: Our Jeep and Snowbirding

It seems once every snowbird season is behind us we start thinking about what didn’t work and what worked out perfectly.  Well, it’s over and we’re doing just that.  There were definitely things that didn’t work out and this time it seems there were more of them than normal.

Arizona Desert

Snowbirding isn’t always about the “toys” you have with you.  Well, some of it is but it’s also about the people you want to meet and hang out with.   Isn’t it human nature that you gravitate towards those you have more in common with than others?  This year was a good one for that. We hung out with our own special group and also reconnected with others we hadn’t seen in a while.

 Beaching it!

Weather always has a lot to do with what works out and what doesn’t. The winter in Arizona was just about the best we had experienced.  However, we also encountered days and days of fog, ice and wind in other locations.   We’ll definitely tweak where and when we go in the fall.  We already have ideas on that too. 

Monterey

Our kayaks traveled thousands of miles with very little use.  Texas had some gorgeous rivers but the weather certainly didn’t cooperate as it was very cold and icy at times. In addition, many of the rivers had dams on them that kept us away. Thus, there is little chance we’ll carry our kayaks south again.  The best place for them is in Oregon and Washington during the summer and that’s where they’ll stay.

Pismo Beach

This was the first year we hadn’t pulled a trailer with either ATVs or our RZR on it.  We figured if we wanted to off-road, the best solution would be sell the RZR and the trailer.  Then, we could buy a Jeep.  Actually, that’s still a good idea to sell the RZR and the trailer.  We ended up with a gem of a Jeep but we made another discovery.  We really don’t need an off-road vehicle.  The Jeep we purchased was raised about 2 1/2 inches making it perfect for off-road but difficult for some passengers  (i.e. Terry’s mom) to get into.  The soft top meant we got lots of road noise and we really missed not having cruise control.  It’s a great Jeep but next fall it won’t be going south with us. 

We stayed at several RV parks this year that were right on golf courses.  Where were our golf clubs?  Well, they weren’t with us.    When we stopped by the “cabin” the other day, the golf clubs were the first things we got out of the storage shed.  Even though we’re terrible at golf, it’s still fun and they’ll definitely be going with us.

Jeeping it!

We’ve also given some thought to places we enjoyed staying at and places we didn’t. More planning will go into future RV parks. I really hate making reservations but not having reservations in some locations really makes it miserable when you discover there’s no place available for you to stay.  Sometimes it’s better to make those reservations and just move them around.  After all, it’s easier to cancel at times than it is to make them.  We’ll be doing just that.

There will also be less boondocking in the desert and more along the Pacific Ocean.  Some of our favorite places are in California.  We especially love Monterey, Pismo Beach, San Diego and, of course, Palm Springs. We’re already hoping to plant our wheels in those areas during the next snowbirding season. 

Thousand Trails – Palm Springs

‘Tis life on the road.

Children are often spoiled, because no one will spank Grandma!